Call this the Rose Bowl Light. While this normally would make a good New Year's Day matchup in Pasadena, the USC Trojans are in the Holiday Bowl for the second straight year while the Wisconsin Badgers are making their first trip to the bowl.

USC won a pair of Rose Bowls against Wisconsin in 1953 and 1963.

KEY MATCHUP

Wisconsin's defense, which leads in the nation in allowing only 13.1 points per game, against a Trojans offense loaded with offensive stars.

With a win Wednesday night, Joel Stave will go down as the winningest quarterback in Badgers history.

The former Whitnall star has won 30 games, and ranks in the top five in many statistical categories. Yet, he's been heavily criticized his whole career. Here's what he hopes his legacy will be after this game.

“More than anything, I just want people to remember me as the guy that I am. I think I've always represented myself well. I think I've always represented this university and my family and everything well, and that's always what's been important to me. I just kind of want to be remembered as a good Wisconsin guy who got to play a lot,” Stave said.

USC: QB Cody Kessler was 2014 Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP after throwing for 321 yards and three TDs in 45-42 victory against Nebraska. In 2015, he threw for 3,315 yards and 28 TDs.

FACTS & FIGURES

Teams last played each other in 1966. ... USC has won last 13 games against Big Ten teams, including last eight bowl games against the conference. ... Clay Helton became head coach at USC on Nov. 30, when AD Pat Haden dropped the interim tag. ... Wisconsin makes its 14th straight appearance in a bowl game, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and tied for seventh-longest in the nation. ... Wisconsin first-year coach Paul Chryst was tight ends coach of the San Diego Chargers from 1999-2001.